Global coronavirus death toll reaches 100,000

More than 100,000 people have died worldwide from the coronavirus, with nearly 70 percent of all fatalities in Europe, according to an AFP tally Friday compiled from official sources.

A total of 100,661 people has been killed, including 70,245 in Europe, since the virus first emerged in China in December.

Italy has the highest number of deaths with 18,849, followed by the United States with 17,925 and 15,843 in Spain.

France on Friday reported 987 more Covid-19 deaths registered in hospitals and nursing homes over the last 24 hours, although the number of patients in intensive care fell for the second day in a row. The new deaths – including 554 in hospitals and 433 in nursing homes – brought the total toll in France to 13,197 since the epidemic began, top health official Jerome Salomon told reporters.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was able to walk in hospital 24 hours after leaving intensive care treatment for Covid-19, as Britain recorded nearly 1,000 daily deaths from the virus for the first time.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said on Friday that Britain had recorded 980 deaths from coronavirus in the 24-hour period since the last report, the highest daily toll yet. It brings the total number of fatalities from Covid-19 in UK hospitals to nearly 8,000, while the number of confirmed cases inside the country climbed to more than 65,000.

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said on Friday that he had taken the “difficult” decision to extend the Mediterranean country’s economically crippling lockdown until May 3.

“We are extending the restrictions until May 3. It is a difficult but necessary decision for which I assume full political responsibility,” Conte told the nation after Italy’s world-topping coronavirus death toll rose to 18,849.

Iran on Friday announced another 122 deaths from the novel coronavirus, taking the overall toll in the Middle East’s worst-hit country to 4,232. The health ministry said 1,972 people tested positive for the Covid-19 virus in the past 24 hours, putting the total at 68,192, reports AFP.

The United States, which has quickly emerged as a virus hotspot, clocked more than 1,700 new deaths on Thursday – bringing its toll to second highest after Italy – with more than 500,000 infections, by far the most of any country.